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Autologous chondrocyte implantation is becoming an increasingly popular procedure among doctors performing cartilage replacement surgeries, using Genzyme's Carticel product for the transplants in the U.S. Researchers also are experimenting with growing cartilage cells on small pieces of scaffolding to create improved cartilage repair cells for surgery.

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Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos has been appointed president and chief executive of Regulus Therapeutics LLC, a joint venture between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals that focuses on microRNA technology. Xanthopoulos joins the company from Anadys Pharmaceuticals, where he was co-founder, former president and CEO.

Researchers said they successfully reengineered Novartis AG's cancer drug Gleevec to control a potentially dangerous side effect that can lead to heart failure, without diminishing its effectiveness in treating gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Unlike Gleevec, however, the redesigned drug does not work against leukemia.

U.S. scientists used X-ray crystallography to capture an image of the activity of the ABC transporter protein, a molecule that pumps material into and out of cells. A researcher said understanding the functions of the protein could help scientists develop more effective drugs for diseases since some proteins in cancer cells filter out drugs before they have a chance to work, lessening the efficacy of these treatments.

The FDA has granted fast-track status to AVI BioPharma's drug candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, AVI-4658. The drug, which the Portland, Ore.-based company developed using its Exon Skipping PreRNA Interference Technology, is expected to undergo a clinical trial by mid-2008.

Scientists have developed AGEMAP, a new database that classifies changes in gene expression in different parts of the body as animals mature. The database, which was derived from a study of mice, allowed the scientists to confirm the significance of slowed metabolism and increased inflammation in aging and showed disparities in the different tissues that may help explain why animals have varied life spans.